So I went to this Estate sale....

[BWGirl]

...and I found this fascinating light meter! It's called a Weston Master II Universal Exposure Meter. I picked it up & the little red indicator thing-y moved. Hm.... I looked & no sign of batteries. So I did the only thing I could do at the time... I bought it. I hope I got an ok deal. I spent 2USD. I found a manual for it online! How cool is that? I love the thing & the Hasselblad loves having company that doesn't have batteries.

They had a few plastic cameras there called Ansco (sp???) they had fixed lenses, but there were cases that had two like 'auxilary lenses' that screwed on the front. Have no clue about those cameras except they were 35mm. I was tempted to buy one of those, but I have a hard enough time with the cameras I have! haha

 

[Flotsam]

If it still works and is accurate it is a great deal. If not it is a nice, classic piece historical photographic memorabilia.

 

[BWGirl]

I checked it against my other light meter (which costs WAY more than 2 bucks) and my Canon Elan 7...and guess what...it's right there! I am one happy camper!

 

[Nick Zentena]

The II would be measuring Weston not ASA/ISO but it's pretty close to the same. $2 is a very good price.

I bought an Ansco this week to. But it's a little bigger-)

 

[Digidurst]

What an awesome find, Jeannette - Congratulations! One of my favorite local camera stores is moving and trying to reduce some of their used inventory prior too. Lots of old cameras, meters and such that they used to display for decoration were up for grabs for very little money. I bought an old 35mm (don't remember the make but it has the word 'Karat' on the front) with a lens that pops out and a tiny set of bellows behind it; built like a tank and by golly, it works! Yippee! But my son feels like he got a better deal... He spent two of his dollars for an old flash doohickey that, according to his imagination, is a stellar spy device!

 

[bobfowler]

What an awesome find, Jeannette - Congratulations! One of my favorite local camera stores is moving and trying to reduce some of their used inventory prior too. Lots of old cameras, meters and such that they used to display for decoration were up for grabs for very little money. I bought an old 35mm (don't remember the make but it has the word 'Karat' on the front) with a lens that pops out and a tiny set of bellows behind it; built like a tank and by golly, it works! Yippee! But my son feels like he got a better deal... He spent two of his dollars for an old flash doohickey that, according to his imagination, is a stellar spy device!

That would most likely be an Agfa.

 

[Jeremy]

Cool! Let's start posting our neat garage/yard/estate/antique store sale finds here.

Yesterday I went up to a local antique store and found one of my dream cameras: a Super Ikonta B in fantastic!!! condition. I've got a roll ready to load up now

 

[FrankB]

Nice find!

Be warned, though. I have a similar WestonMaster and, whilst in good / fair light it's very accurate, in poor light it lies like a scouser in a suit!

 

[bobfowler]

Cool! Let's start posting our neat garage/yard/estate/antique store sale finds here.

OK, I'll bite. My Retina IIa (50mm f/2 Xenon) - in excellent working condition - was bought at a thrift store for $5.00. I could hardly contain myself until I left the shop...

 

[colrehogan]

...and I found this fascinating light meter! It's called a Weston Master II Universal Exposure Meter. I picked it up & the little red indicator thing-y moved. Hm.... I looked & no sign of batteries. So I did the only thing I could do at the time... I bought it. I hope I got an ok deal. I spent 2USD. I found a manual for it online! How cool is that? I love the thing & the Hasselblad loves having company that doesn't have batteries.

They had a few plastic cameras there called Ansco (sp???) they had fixed lenses, but there were cases that had two like 'auxilary lenses' that screwed on the front. Have no clue about those cameras except they were 35mm. I was tempted to buy one of those, but I have a hard enough time with the cameras I have! haha

Cool! I usually don't have such luck.

Okay, my one and only great deal was a Kodak 203 mm f7/7 in Supermatic shutter for $49.95 at the local camera shop last year. And it works great!

 

[Robert Hall]

No batteries? It's a selenium cell. I found one also, although mine doesnt measure well, it's a great conversation piece.

 

[oriecat]

The II would be measuring Weston not ASA/ISO but it's pretty close to the same.

What do you mean by this, it's a different film speed scale? I just got a Weston Master II myself recently on ebay ($11 w/shipping).

 

[JLMoore3]

Okay- but, be warned...

This garage/boot/thrift-store/junk-yard habit is one that is VERY hard to break.

I have boxes of cameras... Shur-Shot, Beacon, Anscoflex, Argoflex, Tower, Foldex, Ikonta, Clack, Click, Isoly, Seagull, Seneca, Ansco, Agfa, Ricohflex, Ciroflex, Duoflex, Spartus, Playlab, Zip, Squareshot, Tourist, Junior, Jiffy, Vest Pocket, Bullet, Hawkeye, Vigilant, Bantam, Autographic, & the like floating around...

This could happen to you!

 

[David H. Bebbington]

What do you mean by this, it's a different film speed scale? I just got a Weston Master II myself recently on ebay ($11 w/shipping).

There are technical differences between ASA/ISO and Weston speeds, in practice just set one number lower on the Weston (e.g. ISO 125 -> Weston 100).
If the needle on a Weston consistently falls back to the zero mark with the cell covered, this usually indicates the meter is is reasonable shape. One big thing to avoid with Westons - do not attack the zero adjusting screw with a screwdriver. Use your fingernail and understand that you only need to turn it a very small amount!

 

[Glenn Mathison]

Cool! Let's start posting our neat garage/yard/estate/antique store sale finds here.

My best garage sale find happened when I wasn't even there. My darling wife goes garage sale snooping most Sundays with her girlfriend. More for fun than anything else. She returned one day and handed me a plastic bag and said "I saw this *thing* and it looked kind of cute, so I bought if for you"

Inside was a near-mint Agfa Solinette II, 35mm folder. Works perfectly and was my introduction to folders. ( I have a few now, all garage sale or flea market buys). The Agfa cost her 6 aussie dollars. about 4 USD.

And I really like the Canon QL17 GIII I picked up recently for $50 aus dollars.

Glenn

 

[Adrian Twiss]

Weston Speed is approx 1/4 stop slower than ASA/ISO therefore 125 ASA/ISO is about 100 Weston Speed

 

[Nick Zentena]

What do you mean by this, it's a different film speed scale? I just got a Weston Master II myself recently on ebay ($11 w/shipping).

It's been answered by others but yes. The first three models [I,II,III] use Weston. Weston used to test the film and publish a little booklet with the film speeds. Models IV on use ASA.

 

[BWGirl]

This little Weston was not my first great find... last fall, I went to an Estate Sale and bought a box of 10 packets of sepia toner for $1 US, and earlier, I went to a moving sale and bought 3 8x10 trays & a 4x5 film developing tank for $2 US. When the guy found out I had my own darkroom and shot B&W, he started hauling out his other photography equipment (he was moving to AZ & converting to digital ). He gave me 4 slave lights, a hand-held flash, a set of 3 macro lenses, a green filter for my 35mm, a couple filter cases, an audible beseler timer and two 11x14 trays. Now THAT was a bargain! I offered multiple times to pay him for the stuff, but he said he was just happy to give it to someone who could use it. Dang...gotta love digital.

 

[rbarker]

Two bucks for a working Weston II? If I were a flamboyant person of alternate preference, you know what I'd call you.

Recognize that selenium cells (the self-powered thingy that measures the light) will degrade over time. That's why many Weston meters of that vintage no longer work well. Also, the measurement angle of Weston meters is kinda wide for precise work. But, for $2, it's a great find, and a wonderful piece of photographic memorabilia, as mentioned.

 

[Konical]

Good Afternoon,

I suppose my biggest bargain was a Seal 210 Dry Mount Press. The school where I was formerly employed was about to throw it out; I got it for nothing except the effort required to lug it out to the car.

Konical

 

[Lee Shively]

I hate those silly estate/garage sales! But, fortunately, my wife loves them. She's dragged me along to a few of them, early on Saturday mornings. There I am with bedhair and a lukewarm cup of coffee, shuffling through things with everyone else. :rolleyes:

Bargains? How 'bout a Leitz Valoy enlarger with Leitz Focotar 50/4.5 lens and a copy camera attachment for $7.00 US? A primo Olympus XA with flash and box for $25.00? A 13.5cm f/4.5 Leitz Hektor telephoto for $35.00?

But most of the time, I just shuffle around looking at broken stuff.

 

[removed account4]

best thing i got was not photographic, but i was going to use it for a photo-show. i had hoped to lug it into places and record birds tweeting, waves crashing, cars driving, white noise, trains squeeking on a track, you know, "life" ..... it was a 1943 bell sound systems record-o-phone. it cut 33rpm records from blank laquor plates ( analog! ) - i picked it up for $65 and got close to 2 dozen plates from transco for free. i later learned that it was a BSS prototype sort of thing made several years before 33rpm was put out for the "public to consume". kept it for a bunch of years, used it a little bit, and then sold it to a "herbal-tea-drinking-musician" from LA for enough money to buy a bunch of photo-stuff

now, if i had only bought "free and accepted's" skirt with the skull and crossbones i saw ... i'd have enough $$ to fill the car with gas and drive to another junk store ... gotta love the junque.

 

[glbeas]

Best bargains I ever got was through the print shops I worked at upgrading and tossing perfectly good equipment out. I got a densitometer, a light table, a vacuum frame with a non working Olec light unit that I'll eventually have repaired, desks, and other stuff I can't remember.

 

[audiomystery]

It it is like the Weston I bought on ebay, it was so complicated what with all the various numbers to line up, that I sold it and bought a russian one instead. I think, I'm sure others will disagree, that a light meter is there to get you in the ballpark. From there you have to use your noggin to find the right seat.

 

[Kino]

Wow. Bumping this oldie back to the top with a garage sale find!

My wife, bless her heart (I really don't deserve her) found a Yashica-44 TLR today for $10 USD and bought if for me!

After 30 minutes with wooden Q-tips and lens cleaning fluid, the camera looks almost mint. The only real problem is the slight dent in the folding viewfinder hood that you don't even notice unless you look closely.

I knew I was holding on to that 1995 roll of Efke R21 for a reason!

Eat your collective hearts out!